HIPPIES AGAIN?
writer: Agata Mayer
It is said that trends like to make a circle and come back every 30 years. Now, in the time of the omnipresent Internet, things are happening a lot faster and it seems as though the flower child will blossom again this summer. It was following World War II that, for the first time in the history of fashion, young subcultures openly objected to dressing as their parents did, and demanded that their own identity be respected. The 1960s fashion revolution of the 20th century took countless forms and favoured names such as Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin, Ossie Clark or Emilio Pucci.
The era of transformation of the hippie movement was hugely diversified: from the uniforms of the best American
universities to Jackie Kennedy’s modern simplicity, the cosmic futurism inspired by pop and op-art and the hippie deluxe
- worn out flared trousers, loose tunics and Gypsy skirts in flowers, all seasoned with an excessive amount of jewellery.
The style we will experience this season.
The hippie culture is one of the most spectacular examples of a movement countering the idea of consumerism for the
most part. Mass production of synthetic goods was the exact opposite of their idea of return to nature. Their “flower power”
slogan referred to the power of nature, as opposed to the brute force of the government.
The cultural revolution that came with the flower children movement and the styles of pop and op-art also brought
about an upheaval in the world of design, which greatly influenced the structure of today’s approach to culture, architecture,
the designers and their products.
So, can we expect the hippie movement to rise from the ashes? Or maybe what we see on the streets of our cities this
summer will be another fashion fad with nothing to do with the ideas which the real hippies fought for?
Well, one thing’s for sure - we will definitely see a classy, stylish boho-chic hybrid. A style which is currently coming from Australia and New Zealand and which combines hippie-style contrasts, the originality of Bohemianism and the freedom of a surfer’s lifestyle.
My article appeared in the 14th issue of Label magazine.
